Pressure-applying garment for animals

ABSTRACT

An animal garment comprises a central portion having a longitudinal axis and including a front end, and a rear end opposite the front end, a first side extending laterally in a first direction from the longitudinal axis, the first side including a free distal end, and a second side extending laterally in a second direction from the longitudinal axis, the second side including a free distal end. When worn, the first side and the second side are configured to extend around the mid-body of the animal and fasten to each other forming a shape conforming to the outside of the mid-body of the animal. The front end of the central portion is positioned proximate to the head of the animal. The garment applies pressure to the animal adequate to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or a combination thereof in the animal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/557,028, filed Dec. 1, 2014, currently pending, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/896,843, filed May 17,2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,899,189, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/657,364, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,211,filed Oct. 22, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/769,735, filed Apr. 29, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,291,867,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/218,620,filed Jun. 19, 2009, the contents of all of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Animals may suffer from various types of anxiety, fearfulness, oroverexcitement. Such feelings or behaviors are common problems for dogs,for example, and can present many symptoms and severity levels. On theless extreme end of the spectrum, a fear of thunder may cause the dog toshake and cling to her owner. On the other extreme, the fear may causepanicked running, destructive chewing, defecating indoors, seizures, orother erratic behavior. Additional known symptoms include panting,drooling, whining, barking, hiding, seeking tight spaces, trembling,scratching, not eating, and pacing. Some owners are not aware thatnegative behavior they are seeing is actually caused by anxiety. Inaddition to noises, other sources of anxiety may include separation fromowner(s), travel, crating, strangers, other dogs, and much more.

Determining what causes a dog's anxiety may be difficult or impossibleto pinpoint. The start of the anxiety may in some cases be traced to atraumatic incident such as being too close to a fireworks show or tooclose to a lightning strike and the subsequent thunder clap. However, adog may have a genetic predisposition for noise or other types ofanxiety. Studies have shown that some breeds, such as Collies, GoldenRetrievers, and German Shepherds, have a higher incidence of noiseanxiety. For some dogs, noise anxiety gradually appears and worsens asthey age for no apparent reason, while for others, noise anxiety appearsas a puppy and stays with them.

There are several known treatments to consider for giving relief to adog from anxiety. For example, for noise anxiety, the owner may changethe dog's environment with “common sense” attempts to give the dogcomfort. Efforts may include creating a safe haven for the dog, such asa blanket-covered crate, finding a location that will reduce the noiselevel, or turning on music or the television to help mask the sound ofthe problem noise. These efforts, however, typically do not showdramatic results, but they can help to reduce symptoms.

A second treatment approach is behavior modification. For example,desensitization is one of the most common behavior modifications triedfor noise anxiety. In a controlled environment, the dog is exposed to alow level of the noise. As she becomes accustomed to the noise, thevolume is increased over time until she learns to tolerate a high levelof noise. This approach has limitations in practice; it is very timeconsuming, in some cases it is not effective because many dogs recognizethe difference between artificial and real events, and if it iseffective, the dog will likely require ongoing periodic treatments.

A third treatment approach is medication. There are a variety ofprescription medications that a veterinarian may suggest. Some areadministered on a regular basis for the life of the dog (Paroxetine orFluoxetine), while others are given only at the time of an anxiety event(valium). Sometimes a combination of drugs is used. Any of these optionstend to be relatively expensive when accounting for the veterinarianvisits and the drug costs, and the medications pose a risk of unwantedphysical side effects that may be severe.

A final form of treatment is a “pressure wrap.” A pressure wrap ismaterial that wraps around the dog's torso, in particular the chest andsometimes the stomach, to provide a constant, gentle pressure. It isuncertain why wraps are effective, but anxiety experts such as Dr.Temple Grandin suggest that pressure has a calming effect on the nervoussystem. Examples of using pressure to calm anxiety include pressureshirts for people with autism, squeeze chutes for cattle, pressureshirts and weighted vests for children with certain behavioraldisorders, and swaddling infants. This treatment has been proven veryeffective for many dogs. Some wraps are homemade, for example, out of anappropriately sized t-shirt, but wraps can be difficult to put on andget the desired fit. Some conventional pressure wraps lack ease inapplying the wrap and may be difficult to adjust to the right pressure.

SUMMARY

A garment is provided for an animal having a first pair of appendages, asecond pair of appendages, and a neck, the animal having a mid-bodybetween the first pair of appendages and the second pair of appendages.The garment comprises a central portion having a longitudinal axis andincluding a front end, and a rear end opposite the front end, a firstside extending laterally in a first direction from the longitudinalaxis, the first side including a free distal end, and a second sideextending laterally in a second direction from the longitudinal axis,the second side including a free distal end. When the garment is worn byan animal the first side and the second side are configured to extendaround the mid-body of the animal and fasten to each other such that thecentral portion and fastened first and second sides form a shapeconforming to the outside of the mid-body of the animal, and the frontend of the central portion is positioned proximate to the head of theanimal. The garment, when worn, applies pressure to the animal adequateto reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or a combination thereofin the animal.

In another aspect, a garment is provided for an animal having a firstpair of appendages, a second pair of appendages, and a neck, the animalhaving a mid-body between the first pair of appendages and the secondpair of appendages. The garment comprises a central portion having alongitudinal axis and including a front end, and a rear end opposite thefront end, a first side extending laterally in a first direction fromthe longitudinal axis, the first side including a free distal end, asecond side extending laterally in a second direction from thelongitudinal axis, the second side including a free distal end, and athird side having a proximal end attached to the central portion, thefirst side, or the second side and extending to a free distal end. Whenthe garment is worn by an animal the first side and the second side areconfigured to extend around the mid-body of the animal and fasten toeach other such that the central portion and fastened first and secondsides form a shape conforming to the outside of the mid-body of theanimal. The third side is configured to extend at least partially aroundthe shape formed by the central portion and the fastened first andsecond sides that conforms to the mid-body of the animal and fastens tothe central portion, the first side, the second side, or a combinationthereof, and the front end of the central portion is positionedproximate to the head of the animal. The garment, when worn, appliespressure to the animal.

A method is also provided for reducing anxiety, fearfulness,overexcitement, or a combination thereof, in an animal having a firstpair of appendages, a second pair of appendages, a neck, a chest, and astomach, the animal having a mid-body between the first pair ofappendages and the second pair of appendages. The method comprises thestep of placing a garment on the mid-body of the animal. The garmentincludes a central portion comprising a stretchable fabric having alongitudinal axis and including a front end positioned proximate to thehead of the animal, and a rear end opposite the front end, a first sideextending laterally in a first direction from the longitudinal axis, thefirst side including a free distal end, and a second side extendinglaterally in a second direction from the longitudinal axis, the secondside including a free distal end. The method further comprises the stepsof wrapping the first side around the chest, the stomach, or acombination thereof of the animal to overlap the second side, stretchingthe first side prior to securing the first side to the second side, andsecuring the first side to the second side. The stretchable fabricforming the central portion and the first and second sides providesresiliency when stretched such that the garment applies pressure to theanimal adequate to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or anycombination thereof in the animal.

In a further aspect, a garment is provided for an animal having a firstpair of appendages, a second pair of appendages, and a neck, the animalhaving a mid-body between the first pair of appendages and the secondpair of appendages. The garment comprises a central portion having alongitudinal axis and including a front end, and a rear end opposite thefront end, a first side extending laterally in a first direction fromthe longitudinal axis, the first side including a free distal end, asecond side extending laterally in a second direction from thelongitudinal axis, the second side including a free distal end, and athird side having a proximal end attached to the central portion andextending to a free distal end. The third side having opposedlongitudinal edges and a width extending between and perpendicular tothe longitudinal edges, wherein the width of the third side is more thanone half of the distance between the front end and the rear end of thecentral portion. When the garment is worn by the animal the first sideand the second side extend around the mid-body of the animal and fastento each other such that the central portion with the fastened first andsecond sides form a shape conforming to the outside of the mid-body ofthe animal. The third side extends at least partially around the shapeformed by the central portion with the fastened first and second sidesand fastens to the central portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of embodiments of a pressure-applyinggarment for animals and associated methods, reference should now be hadto the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and describedbelow. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pressure-applyinggarment as worn by an exemplary animal.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the pressure-applyinggarment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of thepressure-applying garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6A-6D are perspective views of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showingvarious stages of putting the garment on an exemplary animal.

DESCRIPTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the embodiments described. For example, wordssuch as “top”, “bottom”, “front,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,”“horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” and “downward” merely describe theconfiguration shown in the figures. Indeed, the referenced componentsmay be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, shouldbe understood as encompassing such variations unless specifiedotherwise. Throughout this disclosure, where a process or method isshown or described, the steps of the method may be performed in anyorder or simultaneously, unless it is clear from the context that onestep depends on another being performed first.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designatecorresponding or similar elements throughout the several views, anembodiment of a pressure wrap garment 20 is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Althoughin FIG. 1 the garment is shown on a dog, the garment 20 may be appliedto nearly any type of animal with four legs, or two arms and two legs.For example, in addition to a dog, the garment 20 may be worn by a cator a monkey. This embodiment of the garment 20, 20 a includes a centralportion 24 having a longitudinal axis A-A, a left strap 26 and a rightstrap 28 extending from the front of the central portion 24approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A, a long flap 30extending from the right side of the central portion 24 substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A, a short flap 32 extendingfrom the left side of the central portion 24 substantially perpendicularto the longitudinal axis A-A, and a top flap or cinching member 34 thatis attached to the central portion 24 substantially along a longitudinalaxis A-A of the central portion. The top of the garment 20 a is shown inFIG. 2, and the bottom of the garment 20 a is shown in FIG. 3. As wornby a dog 40, the left strap 26 and the right strap 28 go around thedog's neck and fasten to each other, with the bottom of the right strap28 going over the top of the left strap 26. The long flap 30 goes aroundthe dog's chest and stomach to fasten to the short flap 32, with thebottom of the long flap 30 going over the top of the short flap 32. Thecinching member 34 folds down to fasten to the top of the long flap 30.Alternatively, the cinching member 34 could fold down to fasten to thecentral portion 24.

In the embodiment shown, hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro®(VELCRO is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries B.V.), are usedto removably attach the parts of the garment to each other. The hookmaterial is designated at 42, and the loop material is designated at 44,but the materials may be switched so long as a hook surface meets a loopsurface when the material is brought together. Other fasteners may beused as recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, such as a seriesof buttons or snaps, or a combination of webbed straps and clips.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of a pressure-applying garment 20b. The garment 20 b is constructed similarly to the garment 20 a ofFIGS. 2 and 3, but includes on the left strap 26 on the top surface(FIG. 4) a portion near the end of the strap that is hook material 42,while on the bottom surface (FIG. 5) of the right strap 28 a portionthat is loop material 44. Including both materials 42, 44 on the matingstraps assist in maintaining the straps around the animal's neck withoutsagging. The embodiments of the garments 20 a, 20 b of FIGS. 2 and 3 andFIGS. 4 and 5 are further embodiments of the garment 20 embodiment ofFIG. 1.

The material used for the garment 20 may have a composition that ranges,for example, from 5% to 25% spandex. The remainder of the material maybe or include, for example, cotton and polyester. In one embodiment, thefabric may be made of 10% spandex, 55% cotton, and 35% polyester, or maybe made of material of approximately that composition. Other fabrics andcombinations of materials may be used as recognized by one of ordinaryskill in the art, so long as the material exhibits a degree ofelasticity that provides an expandable and flexible, yet snug, fit withpressure adequate to relieve anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or acombination thereof, in the animal, and resilience that allows thematerial to return approximately to its original size when removed fromthe animal. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the central portion 24,straps 26, 28, long flap 30, and short flap 32 are made of one piece ofmaterial, with two layers sewn together continuously along theperiphery. The cinching member 34 is sewn to the central portion 24along one edge of the cinching member 34. One alternative configurationto the cinching member 34 may include the use of fabric straps, webbedstraps, or elastic bands with clips or other connection means.

The garment 20 may be applied to an animal as shown in FIGS. 6A-6D.First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the garment 20 is placed on a back of thedog 40. Next, in FIG. 6B the long flap 30 is wrapped 50 under the dog'schest, stomach, and up the dog's left side and is secured with fastenersto the short flap 32 to achieve a comfortable, snug fit around the dog'smid-body, being the portion of the body between the dog's front and rearlegs. The cinching member 34 is then wrapped 52 down onto the long flap30 and is secured with fasteners in FIG. 6C, with some additionaltension imparted on the garment to apply additional pressure to the dog,which will still be comfortable for the dog and give the dog a sense ofsecurity. As shown in FIG. 6D, the straps 26, 28 may then be wrapped 54around the front of the dog 40 and secured with fasteners. If desired,the straps 26, 28 may be left attached when removing the garment 20 tosave the step of fastening them the next time the garment 20 is put onthe dog 40.

Although the embodiments described above have been shown and describedin considerable detail with respect to only a few exemplary embodimentsthereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that it isnot intended to be limited to these embodiments since variousmodifications, omissions and additions may be made to the disclosedembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages. The directions in which the flaps are folded could differfrom those shown and the lengths of the flaps may vary. For example, thelong flap 30 and the short flap 32 could be of equal length and fastenon top of the animal's back rather then on the lower side. The straps26, 28, the cinching member 34, or both, may be omitted. Accordingly, itis intended to cover all such modifications, omission, additions andequivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of apressure-applying garment and associated methods as defined by thefollowing claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses areintended to cover the structures described herein as performing therecited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalentstructures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structuralequivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to securewooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in theenvironment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may beequivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment for an animal having a first pair ofappendages, a second pair of appendages, and a neck, the animal having amid-body between the first pair of appendages and the second pair ofappendages, the garment comprising: a central portion having alongitudinal axis and including a front end, and a rear end opposite thefront end; a first side extending laterally in a first direction fromthe longitudinal axis, the first side including a free distal end; and asecond side extending laterally in a second direction from thelongitudinal axis, the second side including a free distal end, whereinwhen the garment is worn by an animal the first side and the second sideare configured to extend around the mid-body of the animal and fasten toeach other such that the central portion and fastened first and secondsides form a shape conforming to the outside of the mid-body of theanimal, and the front end of the central portion is positioned proximateto the head of the animal, and wherein the garment, when worn, appliespressure to the animal adequate to reduce anxiety, fearfulness,overexcitement, or a combination thereof in the animal.
 2. The garmentof claim 1, wherein the central portion, the first side, and the secondside are made of a fabric that when stretched provides resiliencyadequate to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or acombination thereof in the animal.
 3. The garment of claim 1, whereinthe fabric comprises from approximately 5% to 25% spandex.
 4. Thegarment of claim 1, wherein, when the garment is worn by the animal andthe first and second sides are fastened to each other, the first sideoverlaps the second side.
 5. A garment as recited in claim 1, whereineach of the first side and the second side has an inside surface and anoutside surface, wherein the outside surface of one of the first side orthe second side includes hook fasteners or loop fasteners, and theinside surface of the other of the first side or the second sideincludes the other of hook fasteners or loop fasteners, and wherein whenthe garment is worn by the animal and the first side and the second sideare fastened together the hook fasteners and the loop fasteners aresubstantially adjacent to each other such that the first side isfastened to the second side.
 6. The garment of claim 1, furthercomprising a third side having a proximate end attached to the centralportion, the first side, or the second side and extending to a freedistal end, wherein the third side is adapted to extend at leastpartially around the mid-body of the animal and to fasten to the centralportion, the first side, the second side, or a combination thereof tofurther tighten the garment to apply pressure to the animal.
 7. Thegarment of claim 6, wherein the third side is attached at its proximateend to the central portion along one edge of the third side generallyalong the longitudinal axis of the central portion.
 8. The garment ofclaim 6, wherein when the third side is fastened to the central portion,the first side, the second side, or a combination thereof, the thirdside overlaps and covers the free distal end of the first side.
 9. Thegarment of claim 6, wherein the third side has opposed longitudinaledges, and wherein the third side has a width that is along a distanceparallel to the longitudinal axis of the garment between the opposingedges of the third side, and wherein the width of the third side extendsalong the longitudinal axis more than one half of the distance betweenthe front end and the rear end of the central portion.
 10. A garment foran animal having a first pair of appendages, a second pair ofappendages, and a neck, the animal having a mid-body between the firstpair of appendages and the second pair of appendages, the garmentcomprising: a central portion having a longitudinal axis and including afront end, and a rear end opposite the front end; a first side extendinglaterally in a first direction from the longitudinal axis, the firstside including a free distal end; a second side extending laterally in asecond direction from the longitudinal axis, the second side including afree distal end; and a third side having a proximal end attached to thecentral portion, the first side, or the second side and extending to afree distal end, wherein when the garment is worn by an animal the firstside and the second side are configured to extend around the mid-body ofthe animal and fasten to each other such that the central portion andfastened first and second sides form a shape conforming to the outsideof the mid-body of the animal, and wherein the third side is configuredto extend at least partially around the shape formed by the centralportion and the fastened first and second sides that conforms to themid-body of the animal and fastens to the central portion, the firstside, the second side, or a combination thereof, and the front end ofthe central portion is positioned proximate to the head of the animal,and the garment, when worn, applies pressure to the animal.
 11. Thegarment of claim 10, wherein the third side is attached at its proximateend to the central portion along one edge of the third side generallyalong the longitudinal axis of the central portion.
 12. The garment ofclaim 10, wherein the central portion, the first side, and the secondside are made of a fabric that when stretched provides resiliencyadequate to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or acombination thereof in the animal.
 13. The garment of claim 12, whereinthe fabric comprises from approximately 5% to 25% spandex.
 14. A garmentas recited in claim 10, wherein each of the first side, the second side,and the third side has an inside surface and an outside surface, whereinthe outside surface of one of the first side or the second side includeshook fasteners or loop fasteners, and the inside surface of the other ofthe first side or the second side includes the other of hook fastenersor loop fasteners, and wherein when the garment is worn by the animaland the first side and the second side are fastened together the hookfasteners and the loop fasteners are substantially adjacent to eachother such that the first side is fastened to the second side.
 15. Agarment as recited in claim 14, wherein when the garment is worn by theanimal and the first side and the third side are fastened together thehook fasteners and the loop fasteners are substantially adjacent to eachother such that the first side is fastened to the third side.
 16. Thegarment of claim 10, wherein the third side has opposing edges, andwherein the third side has a primary width that is along a distanceparallel to the longitudinal axis of the garment between the opposingedges of the third side, and wherein the primary width of the third sideextends along the longitudinal axis more than one half of the distancebetween the front end and the rear end of the central portion.
 17. Amethod of reducing anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or acombination thereof, in an animal, the animal having a first pair ofappendages, a second pair of appendages, a neck, a chest, and a stomach,the animal having a mid-body between the first pair of appendages andthe second pair of appendages, the method comprising the steps of:placing a garment on the mid-body of the animal, the garment including:a central portion comprising a stretchable fabric having a longitudinalaxis and including a front end positioned proximate to the head of theanimal, and a rear end opposite the front end, a first side extendinglaterally in a first direction from the longitudinal axis, the firstside including a free distal end, and a second side extending laterallyin a second direction from the longitudinal axis, the second sideincluding a free distal end; wrapping the first side around the chest,the stomach, or a combination thereof of the animal to overlap thesecond side; stretching the first side prior to securing the first sideto the second side; and securing the first side to the second side,wherein the stretchable fabric forming the central portion and the firstand second sides provides resiliency when stretched such that thegarment applies pressure to the animal adequate to reduce anxiety,fearfulness, overexcitement, or any combination thereof in the animal.18. The method of claim 17, wherein the garment further comprises athird side comprising a stretchable fabric and having a proximate endattached to the central portion, the first side, or the second side andextending to a free distal end, and further comprising the step ofwrapping the third side such that the distal end overlaps the first sideproximate to where the first side is secured to the second side; andsecuring the third side to the central portion, the first side, thesecond side, or a combination thereof to increase the pressure on theanimal, wherein the stretchable fabric forming the central portion, thefirst side, the second side, and the side provides resiliency whenstretched such that the garment applies pressure to the animal adequateto reduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or any combinationthereof in the animal.
 19. A garment for an animal having a first pairof appendages, a second pair of appendages, and a neck, the animalhaving a mid-body between the first pair of appendages and the secondpair of appendages, the garment comprising: a central portion having alongitudinal axis and including a front end, and a rear end opposite thefront end; a first side extending laterally in a first direction fromthe longitudinal axis, the first side including a free distal end; asecond side extending laterally in a second direction from thelongitudinal axis, the second side including a free distal end; and athird side having a proximal end attached to the central portion andextending to a free distal end, the third side having opposedlongitudinal edges and a width extending between and perpendicular tothe longitudinal edges, wherein the width of the third side is more thanone half of the distance between the front end and the rear end of thecentral portion, wherein when the garment is worn by the animal thefirst side and the second side extend around the mid-body of the animaland fasten to each other such that the central portion with the fastenedfirst and second sides form a shape conforming to the outside of themid-body of the animal, and the third side extends at least partiallyaround the shape formed by the central portion with the fastened firstand second sides and fastens to the central portion.
 20. The garment ofclaim 19, wherein the third side is attached at its proximate end to thecentral portion along one edge of the third side generally along thelongitudinal axis of the central portion.
 21. The garment of claim 19,wherein the central portion, the first side, and the second side aremade of a fabric that when stretched provides resiliency adequate toreduce anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or a combination thereof inthe animal.
 22. The garment of claim 21, wherein the fabric comprisesfrom approximately 5% to 25% spandex.
 23. A garment as recited in claim19, wherein each of the first side, the second side, and the third sidehas an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein the outsidesurface of one of the first side or the second side includes hookfasteners or loop fasteners, and the inside surface of the other of thefirst side or the second side includes the other of hook fasteners orloop fasteners, and wherein when the garment is worn by the animal andthe first side and the second side are fastened together the hookfasteners and the loop fasteners are substantially adjacent to eachother such that the first side is fastened to the second side.
 24. Agarment as recited in claim 23, wherein when the garment is worn by theanimal and the first side and the third side are fastened together thehook fasteners and the loop fasteners are substantially adjacent to eachother such that the first side is fastened to the third side.
 25. Thegarment of claim 19, wherein the third side has opposing edges, andwherein the third side has a primary width that is along a distanceparallel to the longitudinal axis of the garment between the opposingedges of the third side, and wherein the primary width of the third sideextends along the longitudinal axis more than one half of the distancebetween the front end and the rear end of the central portion.